I Need Help Shopping

Question:

I always have a tough time in the grocery store.  I know it sounds crazy, but I especially need help in the produce section.  I never know where to go to get the best foods for myself and always walk out with the wrong stuff.  Help.

Kelli’s Answer:

You can breathe a sigh of relief in the produce section, because most things here are good for you!  To meet the goal of 5 servings a day of fruit and vegetable, try to: eat a piece of fruit with at least one daytime snack (1 serving), eat a serving of fruit and one of vegetables at lunch (2 servings), and cover ½ your dinner plate with veggies at every dinner (2 servings).   This may seem like a lot to you, or at least a lot of money.  However, you can make your dollar stretch with inexpensive choices and in-season/on-sale ones.  Carrots, cucumbers, leaf lettuce, small apples, and bananas, for example, are usually on the cheap end.  When you find a really good sale, buy extra a freeze if possible.  If/When organic produce is within your budget, buy it!  While organic produce is not more nutritious, it does allow you to eat without ingesting pesticides and other chemicals.  If you’d like to try a new fruit or vegetable, but don’t know how to choose it or prepare it, ask if your store has a produce book available which should  offer a lot of valuable information.  Or, if you think ahead, visit www.produceoasis.com for tips before you shop.

What to buy: Any fresh fruit , vegetable, or herb.  Organic when possible.

What to leave: Fruit juices, fruit “smoothies” with added sugars, dried fruit with sulfates.

Please send us your questions for our Expert Sports Nutritionist, Kelli Jennings to “Ask the Sports Nutritionist“. Kelli Jennings is a Registered Dietitian with a passion for healthy eating, wellness, & sports nutrition. For more information go to www.apexnutritionllc.com.